Suggested Teaching Activities for the textbook:
Southeast Asia: Crossroads of the World
By Clark D. Neher
Southeast Asia: Crossroads of the World provides an engaging introductory look at the history, cultures,
and politics of this intriguing region. Intended for both high school students and for beginning undergraduates,
the book is also useful background reading for upper division courses and for general readers and teachers new
to the study of Southeast Asia.
Clark Neher is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Northern Illinois University. He has served as Chair
of the Department of Political Science and as Director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies. He has also
been named Presidential Teaching Professor, NIU’s highest teaching honor. He has written extensively on
Southeast Asia and he visits the region frequently.
Published by Southeast Asia Publications
Center for Southeast Asian Studies
Northern Illinois University
2nd edition, 2004 (Available September 2004)
(To order a copy, click image above)
These activities were developed and written by Nancy Keiser and Maureen Kincaid, professors of education
at North Central College, Naperville, Illinois. Professors Keiser and Kincaid are also education consultants
for the Center for Southeast Asia Studies at Northern Illinois University. Professor Keiser has used this
textbook for a number of introductory undergraduate level courses she has taught on Southeast Asia and as
the major background textbook for the study abroad pre-departure course on Southeast Asia taught at North
Central College. Professor Keiser traveled to Southeast Asia in 1999 as part of a grant from ASIANetwork
and the Ford Foundation and she returned to Southeast Asia twice in 2003 for research and study abroad
purposes. Professor Keiser is currently doing research on the educational practices and teacher training in
Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. While relatively new to the field of Southeast Asia, Professor Kincaid is a
leading consultant in the field of using children’s literature about Southeast Asia to teach language arts and
social studies to elementary and middle school students. For the past year, Professor Kincaid has been
working with a young Vietnamese American artist in writing her refugee story as a book for children. Both
educators are committed to the training of teachers for the global community.
These activities are merely suggestions on the use of the material found in this book. Many of the activities
can easily be amended or adapted to meet the needs and developmental levels of a variety of learners. The
intent is that these activities will promote critical reasoning skills in students – and that they will also
motivate students to want to learn more about this diverse and fascinating part of the world.
For more information or additional suggestions on these and other teaching activities and materials, please
contact the Outreach Coordinator at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Northern Illinois University at
jlamb@niu.edu or visit our website at www.cseas.niu.edu/.